Propane vs. Natural Gas vs. Heating Oil: Perry Home Heating Fuel Comparison
Residences have a variety of fuels that can be used when it comes to heating. Natural Gas is the most popular choice in Perry, used by 2,796,352 or 52% of families. The 2nd most popular primary heating fuel for Perry families is Electricity, used by 1,447,260 homes (27%). The rest of the homes are heated with Heating Oil (12%), Propane (5%), Wood (2%), and Coal (1%).
Perry County Residential Primary Home Heating Fuel (in Number of Households)
| Year | Natural Gas | Propane | Electricity | Oil | Wood | Solar | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,796,352 | 282,182 | 1,447,260 | 663,450 | 112,270 | 7,204 | 31,146 |
| 2024 | 2,785,913 | 276,598 | 1,396,275 | 685,083 | 111,416 | 6,155 | 32,085 |
| 2023 | 2,698,411 | 278,621 | 1,389,291 | 717,601 | 111,540 | 6,964 | 44,558 |
| 2022 | 2,710,114 | 282,625 | 1,337,240 | 742,118 | 105,147 | 5,282 | 41,959 |
| 2021 | 2,677,533 | 267,454 | 1,287,322 | 760,867 | 109,832 | 4,867 | 46,436 |
| 2020 | 2,656,062 | 251,472 | 1,254,850 | 776,616 | 113,900 | 4,554 | 41,326 |
| 2019 | 2,634,591 | 235,490 | 1,222,377 | 792,365 | 117,969 | 4,241 | 36,216 |
| 2018 | 2,592,386 | 225,476 | 1,198,450 | 806,761 | 128,110 | 2,197 | 35,172 |
| 2017 | 2,598,275 | 222,650 | 1,158,937 | 790,353 | 127,198 | 2,225 | 35,586 |
| 2016 | 2,551,248 | 209,719 | 1,133,797 | 805,822 | 125,583 | 1,639 | 34,565 |
| 2015 | 2,549,385 | 200,754 | 1,103,995 | 837,082 | 141,835 | 2,117 | 38,034 |
| 2014 | 2,528,694 | 198,296 | 1,087,741 | 858,758 | 148,256 | 1,760 | 36,886 |
| 2013 | 2,516,052 | 195,799 | 1,086,074 | 870,064 | 148,597 | 1,408 | 33,941 |
| 2012 | 2,530,063 | 188,880 | 1,046,982 | 936,674 | 145,089 | 1,484 | 31,494 |
| 2011 | 2,516,883 | 178,387 | 1,019,764 | 973,749 | 137,625 | 1,545 | 28,259 |
| 2010 | 2,530,446 | 177,562 | 997,925 | 993,832 | 126,074 | 597 | 29,423 |
Heating Oil (Fuel Oil) Use in Perry
Number two heating oil has become decreasing in demand in Perry. In the 3 years since 2022, the number of homeowners using heating oil decreased from 742,118 to 663,450, a 11% drop.
Propane vs. Natural Gas use for home heating in Perry
Between 2022 and today, the number of households using propane as the primary space heating fuel remained stable at 282,182, a 0% change. Comparing 2022 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel increased from 2,710,114 to 2,796,352, a 3% change.
Electricity use for home heating in Perry
Electric heat pump systems for home heating are more popular in Perry. Since 2022, the number of homes heating with electricity increased from 1,337,240 to 1,447,260, a 8% change.
Adoption of solar home heating systems in Perry
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank (similar to a hot water heater) in the basement. Today, 7,204 homes in Perry are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 36% gain from 2022, when 5,282 homes utilized active solar heating.
Perry County Heating Oil Trends
Last year, Perry County homeowners purchased a total of 2 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Perry’s overall number two heating oil usage changes yearly depending on winter temperatures. As the temperature outside drops, homes’ furnaces need to burn additional number two heating oil to keep the house warm inside. Last winter, the average outside temperature in Perry was 29.3°F, which was 5.5°F colder than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Perry County Average Winter Temperature
| Heating Season | Average Temperature |
|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | 29.3° F |
| 2023 - 2024 | 34.8° F |
Perry County Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting an Oil Company
For Perry households heating with oil, choosing which of the 11 heating oil companies that serve Perry can drastically impact the cost of home heating.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners who value a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system pick one of the 12 “full-service” oil companies that serve Perry. Full service companies such as Suburban Propane or WC Eshenaur & Son Inc offer households annual contracts which consist of a combined package of both automatic heating oil delivery and heating system repair. With an automatic number two heating oil delivery contract, the company tracks your home’s number two heating oil consumption and makes deliveries when your tank is running low. The client does not need to monitor the level of the oil tank or place individual orders.
Discount Oil Companies: Often called “COD Fuel” or “Cash Heating Oil” companies, discount oil companies are for homeowners who are on a budget. With discount oil companies, in exchange for lower prices, you monitor the number two heating oil level in your tank, and you place an oil order either when the level runs low or just before a major snowstorm. Some of the 2 Perry cash heating oil companies serving Perry include Lisi Oil Co and Marstellar Oil & Concrete Inc.
Perry Number Two Heating Oil Company By The Numbers: Oil Companies Serving Perry: 11 companies .
Average Number of Perry Houses Served per Number Two Heating Oil company : 60314
Perry Heating Oil Delivery Overview
663,450 households in Perry heat their homes with heating oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Perry temperatures drop as low as 23.2° F each winter. 12.3% of Perry houses rely on oil delivery each winter.
6.1% of Perry County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
| Perry County Households | Perry County Heating Oil Households |
|---|---|
| 10.7M | 663,450 |
36 Perry Fuel Oil Companies Homeowners Can Count On
With 507,486,889 gallons of fuel oil delivered to Perry families during this past winter, the Perry community depends on its 36 oil companies to keep their oil tanks full. Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal (also known as a “rack”). In the case of Perry, two of the closest terminals are Ergon in Newell, PA and Etmt in Blawnox, PA. Then, the truck delivers the number two heating oil to residences and companies throughout Perry and the surrounding vicinity.
